RENTON – Jordan Morris didn’t have the impact he may have hoped for when he subbed into the game for the Seattle Sounders on the road against Minnesota United in the 65th minute last weekend, but just getting on the field was a positive. Morris had missed the entirety of the team’s last five games after having to leave Seattle’s season opener against the Colorado Rapids in the 8th minute with a muscle injury. It was an unwelcome sight after he was limited to just 1,303 minutes across all competitions last season.
“I just want to play,” the Sounders attacker said to gathered media after training on Friday. “The last couple years have been tough, too much time sitting on the sidelines.”
A pair of muscle injuries after a bright start to 2025 meant that at the end of June Morris had only made nine appearances across all competitions, missing 12 with the two injuries. He had made his way back to the field and was working himself back into form when a freak collision with San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Daniel left him with a shoulder injury that forced him to miss another 10 games and two months without seeing the field. It was a serious disappointment after he’d been both particularly durable and productive over the previous three seasons following his ACL injury in 2021, and a new Designated Player contract based on his performances in 2023 and ’24.
“Tough way to start the year. Especially after last year,” Morris explained. “I was looking forward to a fresh start.”
The injury’s behind him now, and Morris is ready to help Seattle build on the strong foundation the team has laid with a 5-1-1 record across all competitions to start the season having only played one of those games at Lumen Field.
“I want to play, I’m ready to play,” he said, noting that he felt like he could have been involved earlier than the Minnesota game in an echo of some of head coach Brian Schmetzer’s own comments about Morris’ availability before the second leg of the series against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
“I was even pushing to maybe play in that second Vancouver game,” he specified, before saying he feels capable of taking on a bigger role than his half-hour off of the bench in the coming games. “I’m ready to go for Houston and that Tigres series."
Getting Morris going again can only be seen as a positive. In his limited minutes last season he still managed to contribute 7 goals and 2 assists in 1,022 minutes between the MLS regular season and playoffs, a career-best rate of 0.79 goal contributions per 90 minutes. It was a productive if limited season overshadowed by his injuries, which also obscured his performances over the last two seasons. 2024 had been particularly impressive, as Morris had 18 goals across all competitions and added 6 assists along the way to earning that DP contract. Getting him back into a rhythm will provide a massive boost to the Sounders who haven’t really been able to get either of Osaze De Rosario or Danny Musovski rolling as the striker, and who just traded away one of their only other players in the squad with the pace to break open defenses as Georgi Minoungou moves to the Rapids for $2 million GAM.
“We’re gonna miss him, but I’m excited for him to get that opportunity,” said Morris about Minoungou. “He deserves a chance, he deserves to get on the field, and we’ll be watching him.”
Minoungou trade becomes official
The Sounders officially announced that Minoungou has been traded to the Colorado Rapids. In exchange for the 23-year-old winger, the Sounders receive $2 million in General Allocation Money — split evenly between 2026 and 2027 —as well as a sell-on percentage of any future move.
Injury updates
- Alex Roldan was given the week off of training after leaving Sunday’s game with what Schmetzer called a “hip pointer.” Roldan is expected to fully rejoin training on Tuesday.
- Hassani Dotson remains a limited participant in training as he clears the final stages of concussion protocol, but is also expected to resume training next week.
- Stuart Hawkins was able to participate in training for the first time since suffering a muscle injury in the final preseason game and is also expected to fully resume training next week.
- Yeimar Gomez Andrade will be out for about eight weeks from when he suffered his injury, Schmetzer said. That would put him on track to return in early May.
- Kim Kee-hee’s return continues to be a bit of a moving target. It remains unclear when he might return.
